T'Challa (Earth-616)
. As a young man, T'Challa traveled to America and Europe for school, and came back to perform his duties in his tribe to become a man to lead the country. After beating the then current Black Panther and taking an herb to link him to Bast, the Panther God, the herb also enhanced him which made him almost superhuman as T'Challa became the new Black Panther, leader of the Panther Clan, and King of Wakanda. This made his adopted older brother hate him even more, and in turn became the leader of the Wakandan secret police, the Hatut Zeraze, and was called the White Wolf. As one of his first acts as King, T'Challa threw the Hatut Zeraze out of the country in an effort to establish his country as a global leader in technology. Being King continued to bring up new difficulties when a tribal war commenced in Wakanda. T'Challa was forced to take sides in the war, choosing Dora Milaje over the Jabari tribe for his secret service agents as well as his harem. The more Wakanda became a technological global power, the more T'Challa realized the threats of the outside world. While developing nuclear weaponry inside Wakanda, he began to invite super-powered people to his country, beginning with the Fantastic Four , as well as infiltrate groups like the Avengers in an effort to test the limitations of their abilities. Although once he found out what kind of people they were, T'Challa saw them as allies as well as friends. Even so, he only allowed most members of the Avengers to know him as Luke Charles, an American teacher romantically involved with a singer named Monica Lynne. For the next few years, T'Challa lived two lives, one in America as a teacher, and one in Wakanda as King. The many threats to his Kingdom continued, including the Supremacists of Azania, Solomon Prey, Moses Magnum, the Soul-Strangler, Kiber the Cruel, Wind Eagle, Baron Macabre, and even the Ku Klux Klan. On a mission to recover King Solomon's Frogs, T'Challa met a future version of himself who was telepathic and fatally sick. Attempting to change this future, he broke up with Monica Lynne and kept his future body in cryostasis. Wakanda almost went to war with Atlantis, during an incident on Kiber Island, and T'Challa found out that his stepmother had not left his family, but was kidnapped and made into a South-African slave by Anton Pretorius. He rescued her and joined the Knights of Pendragon while learning that he had a Pendragon Spirit within. With the help of Black Axe and Afrikaa, he exposed the efforts of Cardinal Technology to escalate the civil war in Mohannda. Empowered by the demon Mephisto, Reverend Achebe led a coup on Wakanda backed by Xcon, an alliance of rogue intelligence agents and the Russian mafia. In exchange for Mephisto's, abandoning Achebe and leaving Wakanda in peace, T'Challa sold his soul to him, knowing that his unity with the Panther God and its link to the spirits of past Panther Clan leaders would ruin Mephisto’s plans. Demanding sanctions against America over the Xcon coup, T’Challa linked the United States to it and presented evidence to the United Nations. Nakia attempted to kill Monica Lynne and was replaced in the Dora Milaje with Queen Divine Justice. Distraught and alone, Nakia was captured, tortured and almost killed by Achebe before Killmonger rebuilt her into Malice. Killmonger also attempted to wipe out Wakanda’s economy, so T’Challa was forced to nationalize all foreign companies. This resulted in Tony Stark having controlling interest in the Wakandan Design Group. After the economy was once again stabilized, T’Challa fought Killmonger in ritual combat and was almost killed, but lost the Black Panther title instead of his life. Moon Knight and Brother Voodoo mystically nursed T’Challa back to health while Killmonger attempted to join the Avengers as the newest Black Panther. Soon after, Deadpool and other mercenaries attacked Wakanda on the behalf of Achebe, and the Avengers were forced to respond. While they were in Wakanda, Killmonger was supposedly killed and T’Challa was re-established as Black Panther. The criminal Nightshade resurrected the fabled Chinese monster Chiantang the Black Dragon to use against T'Challa back in New York. Black Dragon had a mind-controlled Iron Fist attack Black Panther. The assault caused the fatal sickness the future Panther had originally predicted. Nightshade, meanwhile, managed to revive the future Panther. At the same time, the White Wolf took over Xcon and killed most of its leaders. The previous Xcon leadership had used King Solomon's Frogs to replace the U.S. President and Canadian Prime Minister with brainwashed future counterparts, allowing the company to overthrow both countries. Hunter continued with this plan and exacted revenge on Tony Stark for his buy-out of Wakandan Design Group. Afraid for Tony, T’Challa sent him a message by using financial finagling to seize control of Stark Enterprises and simultaneously annex a small Canadian island in Lake Superior. This prompted the U.S. and Canadian leaders to meet to discuss this crisis. The coordination of these leaders allowed Panther and his allies, including the future Panther, to invade the White House and foil the Xcon's plot, thereby un-brainwashing the duplicate leaders and returning them to their own times. As the Panther returned to Wakanda, the future Panther fell into a coma and was placed back into stasis until he was killed by Man-Ape. Man-Ape had then been freed by Divine Justice in hopes of freeing her tribe. After all of this, the original T'Challa became unstable and constantly hallucinating. He attacked the Jabari tribe with the intent of wiping them out; but almost accidentally killed Divine Justice. This caused him to come to his senses and stop the battle. Unable to face almost killing a woman he loved, the Panther went into hiding in New York and handed over Wakanda to his council. A policeman named Kasper Cole adopted an abandoned Panther costume and sought out T’Challa for training and guidance. This incident gave T'Challa the strength to fight for his health, his nation and his world. Killmonger was revived later and challenged T’Challa’s rule, an issue which remains unresolved. At the same time, T'Challa went back to the Avengers, who battled Scorpio, and unmasked U.S. Defense Secretary Dell Rusk as the evil Red Skull. The team was disbanded after the Scarlet Witch had a mental breakdown. T'Challa had a brief romance in his teens with Ororo Munroe, and recently helped reunite her with her surviving family members in Africa and the U.S., and shortly afterward proposed. The two were married in a large Wakandan ceremony, and then headed off on a diplomatic world tour for their honeymoon. They visited nations like Latveria, the Blue Area of the Moon, and Atlantis as well as America. There, the nation was gripped by the events of the Civil War, and while visiting the White House, the authorities attempted to force Ororo to sign on to the Superhuman Registration Act despite her status as a ruling dignitary. This resulted in the royal couple choosing to side with Captain America and the Secret Avengers in the war. At the conclusion of the superhero Civil War the Wakanda embassy in New York was destroyed, leaving T'Challa without a home while in the city. At the same time Reed and Sue Richards decided to “take a break” from the Fantastic Four, leaving an opening on the team. T'Challa and Ororo accepted Richard’s offer to stay in the Baxter Building and along with the Thing and the Human Torch formed a new Fantastic Four. During their time with them, they encountered Galactus and his heralds Silver Surfer and Stardust, traveled to alternate realities, fought a new Frightful Four, and saved Eternity from dying with the help of Doctor Strange. They also stayed and fought alongside the entire Fantastic Four against The Hulk and his Warbound. Though they fought hard, they were eventually defeated along with many others. It was after this event that T'Challa and Ororo decided they had been away from their duties long enough bidding farewell to their allies and departed on good terms. | Powers Formerly = As chieftain, the Panther was entitled to eat a special heart-shaped herb that granted him superhumanly acute senses and increased his already formidable strength, speed, stamina, and agility to the peak of human potential. He has recently approached the Panther God through mystical means who has made him stronger and more fit than ever before, meaning his strength and other abilities have been increased to Superhuman levels, the limit of these new powers are unknown but he was able to easily shatter machines as powerful as Doombots effortlessly with single blows.Black Panther #9 Alchemy and ancient magicks gave him resistance to magical attacks Superhumanly Acute Senses: T'Challa can see in total darkness as if it was a clear sunny day, something at over a few hundred feet appears as though it is right in front of his face. T'Challa's sense of hearing is enhanced in a similar manner, enabling him to hear sounds that an ordinary human can't and to be able to hear sounds that an ordinary human can, but at much greater distances. T'Challa can memorize tens of thousands of scents and track them to the exact location, can smell fear, and detect if someone is lying by change in body odor. T'Challa's sense of taste is sensitive to the point that he is able to taste the exact ingredients of any particular food he is eating. Peak Human Strength: The special herb has enhanced T'Challa's physical strength to the pinnacle of human perfection. While not superhuman, he is considerably much stronger than the average human and is as strong as a human can be without being considered superhuman. At his peak, marvel hand-books class him to lift just under 800 lbs. Peak Human Speed: T'Challa is able to run and move at speeds superior to those of any Olympic athlete. He is capable of reaching speeds of 30 mph and higher. Peak Human Stamina: T'Challa's musculature is considerably more efficient than that of an average human, or most other normal humans in general. His muscles generate less fatigue toxins than the bodies of most humans. He can exert himself at peak capacity for several hours before fatigue begins to impair him. Peak Human Durability: T'Challa's ability to resist and recover from physical injury or disease is also at the pinnacle of human capability. While he is susceptible to illness and injury as any normal human is, his ability to resist and recover from them is well above that of most other humans. Peak Human Agility: T'Challa's agility, balance, and bodily coordination are also heightened to the pinnacle of human development. He is superior to any Olympic level gymnast that has ever competed. Peak Human Reflexes: T'Challa's reaction time is superior to that of any Olympic athlete that has ever competed. Clairvoyance (formerly): Many years ago, exposure to the Vibranium Mound gave T'Challa extra-sensory capabilities. He was able to see objects around him even while blindfolded. He also experienced visions of the future wherein he saw himself in conflict with the energy-vampire known as Kiber the Cruel. These powers disappeared shortly after his battle with Kiber.Black Panther (Volume 1) #10-12 | Abilities = Genius-level Intellect: T'Challa possesses a genius level intellect. His genius is as such that he is one of the eight smartest people on Earth.Hulk #601, Fall of the Hulks: Among the top eight minds on the planet are Reed Richards, Victor von Doom, Henry Pym, Hank McCoy, Bruce Banner, Anthony Stark and Amadeus Cho, as well. He possesses accomplishments such as a D.Phil. in physics from Oxford University. Master Martial Artist: He has been groomed to be a warrior from birth. An expert in practically all forms of armed and unarmed combat, and a master of all martial arts including African and unknown forms. He is a master of stealth, disguise etc. He is considered to be one of the best martial artists to have ever walked the Earth. This is evident by him being able to stalemate and even gain the upper hand at times against opponents such as Captain America, Daredevil etc. in hand to hand fights. Weapons Master: The Panther has mastered all known weapons. Master Acrobat: T'Challa is a rigorously trained gymnast and acrobat. Expert Marksman: He is a master marksman adept with hunting knives, firearms, and other projectile weaponry. Master Tactician: T'Challa is a genius tactician, strategist, and leader who is practically peerless. He was taught tactics and strategies in his youth by his father who encouraged him to always think two steps ahead of his enemies and three steps ahead of his friends. His prowess is such that he is able to out think and out maneuver individuals such as Tony Stark, and other geniusesAvengers V3 #66. Expert Tracker & Hunter: Even without his superhuman senses, he is a master tracker and hunter. He can pick up a prey's scent and memorize tens of thousands of individual ones. Multilingual: T'Challa can fluently speak his native language, English, and other various languages. Master Inventor: He can invent various devices with special properties when needed. While not all of his inventions are as good as others made by Tony Stark and so on, he possesses engineering abilities and intellect that makes him a peer and has proven to be able to invent and create weaponry that rivals their engineering capabilities. T'Challa can also duplicate practically any other technologies after learning how they work or by glancing at the designs. Highly Influential Connections: As king of Wakanda, the Panther has access to a vast collection of magical artifacts, technological and military hardware, as well as the support of his nation's wide array of scientists, adventurers, and superheroes. Diplomatic Immunity: As the leader of a sovereign nation, He often visits the United States or the United Nations for political reasons. He enjoys diplomatic immunity during these trips, and his embassy is considered foreign soil. | Strength = His strength is almost superhuman, Black Panther has demonstrated exceptional feats of strength like wrestling down a Rhino, knocking out a Polar Bear and even stopping a Elephant's charge. He's classed at the peak of human potential. Marvel handbooks class him strong enough to lift 750 lbs. | Weaknesses = In spite of his enhancements, T'Challa is still an ordinary human being. He is susceptible to some of the same vulnerabilities other normal humans are. | Equipment = *'Kimoyo card': An extremely powerful and versatile PDA. It functions similarly to the Avengers' communicards, but with many more practical applications. In one instance, the Panther called up a schematic of a jumbo jet's cockpit controls and took command of the plane, landing the plane safely in a river. "Kimoyo" is Bantu for "of the spirit". *'Energy-Dampening Boots': Energy regulators create varying fields from the Vibranium in the molded soles of the boots, enabling Panther to survive a fall of several stories and land like a cat. Given enough momentum, the Panther can also scale walls or skim across water. The field can be also used offensively to shatter or weaken objects. *'Vibranium Microweave Mesh': in his Panther uniform. The microweave robs incoming objects of their momentum; bullets do not ricochet off but simply fall to the ground when they come in contact with the weave. Likewise, the Panther cannot be stabbed, however, the costume (and Panther) can be cut if the attacker slashes along the uniform's grain. *'Mask Lenses': Lenses in the mask cut glare and enhance the Panther's natural night vision. *'Cloaking Technology': The cloak can be elongated, shortened or eliminated with a thought, and the entire costume can be covered allowing it to pass as normal street clothes. *''' Heavenly Armor': Lightweight body armor covering the user from head to toe in a similar fashion as Iron Man that operates by thought. It offers flight at high speeds, slightly enhanced strength,and more protection in combat. | Transportation = Advanced Wakandan aircraft. | Weapons = *'Energy Dagger': with an ornate hilt carved of ivory or some kind of stone, and an energy-generated blade that can be set to stun or kill. The energy blades can be handled like either a physical knife or fired like darts, and regenerated repeatedly. *'Anti-Metal Claws': Claws in the gloves are made of Antarctic Vibranium-based "Anti-Metal" that can break down basically all metals at the molecular level. 'Ebony Blade' * Other weapons available, such as swords, spears, shields, knives, clubs, quivers and arrows, a large variety of firearms and other weapons used for close range, and technological weapons and devices such as a large 'power glove.' | Notes = Appearances in Other Media * The Black Panther appeared in the "Prey of the Black Panther" episode of the ''Fantastic Four animated TV series, voiced by Keith David. * The Black Panther made a cameo appearance in the "Sanctuary" episode of an X-Men animated TV series. * The Black Panther appears in the comics based on The Avengers: United They Stand. * The Black Panther appears in Ultimate Avengers 2 as a central character. * The Black Panther appears in the RPG game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, voiced by Phil LaMarr. In the game, Panther's simulation disk involves him trying to get out of Murderworld after Arcade imprisoned him. | Trivia = * As explained in Jungle Action #19, the "T" in "T'Challa" is silent. | Links = *Black Panther Message Board *Christopher Priest's website *Reginald Hudlin's website *Don McGregor's website }} Category:Animism Category:Fantastic Four members Category:Avengers members Category:Object-Based Powers Category:Clairvoyance Category:Precogs Category:Hyperosmia Category:Hyperacusia Category:Night Vision Category:Telescopic Vision Category:Superhuman Senses Category:Wakandan Royal Family Category:Geniuses Category:Diplomatic Immunity